Discus

The discus can change its colors slightly based on personal and environmental factors.

The discus is a genus of brightly colored tropical fish (and a member of the cichlid family) that resides in the long, sinewy waterways of the Amazon Basin. Because of their vivid colors and intricate markings, the discus is one of the most popular types of tropical aquarium fish in the world. It has undergone selective breeding in captivity for all types of exotic markings and patterns, many of which don’t even exist in the wild.

Incredible Discus Fish Facts!

• These fish prefer to congregate in large groups with dozens of members for protection and feeding.
• The discus appears to derive its bright colors from combinations of pigments in its skin cells.
• An alternate name for the fish is the pompadour fish. Named after Madame de Pompadour, a mistress of King Louis XV of France, the pompadour is a popular hairstyle in which a large volume of hair is swept up over the forehead. Because of its bright colors, the discus has also earned the title King of the Aquarium.

Discus Fish Classification and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the discus is Symphysodon. This name may be a combination of the Greek words symphysis, meaning grown together, and odous, meaning teeth. It belongs to the family of cichlids, one of the most diverse vertebrate families in the world.

Discus Fish Species

Taxonomists once disagreed about how many species roamed the wild, but a genetic study of the discus seemed to confirm that there were three distinct species. The blue discus and red discus, mentioned below, seem to be the most closely related. They are able to produce viable hybrids together. Several more types have been produced through selective breeding in captivity.

• Blue Discus: Living downriver of the Rio Purus in the Eastern Amazon Basin, the blue (or alternatively, the brow discus) has some combination of blue and brown colors all around its body.
• Green Discus: Also native to the downriver Purus area in the Western Amazon Basin, the green discus sports a yellow-green body with some blue highlights around the fringes and some black stripes over its body.
• Red Discuss: Native to the Rio Negro and surrounding areas, the red discus has a bright red-orange body, sometimes complemented with blue-green patterns and black stripes. This species is also known as the Heckel discus.

Discus Fish Appearance

For good reason this fish has earned the name of discus. It has a relatively flat, rounded body with big, prominent fins on the back and pelvis. As mentioned previously, the discus is classified according to its three main body colors (blue, red, and green), but there are so many unique patterns that it is difficult to describe them all in detail. The fish also has the remarkable ability to change its color based on age, mood, environmental conditions, and stress levels.

These fish usually grows no larger than 6 inches and about half a pound in the wild, but reports seem to indicate that it can grow to 8 or 9 inches in captivity. Except in the breeding season, when the female abdomen is enlarged, it is very difficult to tell the sexes apart from each other.

Discus Fish Distribution, Population, and Habitat

In the wild, these fish are exclusively endemic to the tributaries and floodplains of the Amazon River Basin. It is especially prolific in slow-moving blackwater channels. Because of the constant flooding that occurs throughout the year, the fish will often congregate around fallen trees near the shore.

The three discus species are not currently classified by the IUCN Red List, but they are presumed to be in stable and good health because they are so common throughout their native river systems. However, the modification or loss of its natural habitat is probably the greatest threat to the survival of the discus.

Discus Predators and Prey

These fish is an intermediate part of the food chain. It serves as an important link between the nutritious plants and animals at the bottom and the predators above it.

What does the discus fish eat?

The majority of these fish’s diet consists of algae and other small plant material. This is supplemented with small invertebrates such as worms and crustaceans.

What eats the discus fish?

The main predators of these fish include turtles, birds, and larger species of fish. It is also known to cannibalize the unrelated larvae of its own species.

Discus Fish Reproduction and Lifespan

Based on scientific observations, it appears that the timing of the discus reproduction and mating season is highly influenced by changes in the flood level of their local environment. They tend to spawn right as the water levels begin to rise as a way to take advantage of the abundant food and lower predator density of the flooded forests in which they congregate. When a couple is ready to mate, they move away from the rest of the group, perhaps to reduce the incidence of cannibalism. After copulating, the eggs usually hatch in about three or four days.

As with many other cichlid species, the discus parents invest some time and care into the development of their offspring by guarding and cleaning the eggs. However, unlike many other cichlids, the discus has a unique adaptation: they secrete a mucus-like substance through their skin for the larvae to feed on for the first few weeks of their lives. When one parent begins to tire of this process, the larvae will switch to another parent. At the end of this period, the larvae will have grown large enough to fend for themselves.

The young discus will start to reproduce on their own after a year of age. The typical lifespan is some 10 to 15 years. But life is rough for a young fish, and many of them fall prey to other animals in the wild before they can reach full size.

Discus Fish in Fishing and Cooking

The discus is rarely caught in the wild for its meat. It’s isolated, difficult to reach, and just not that desired. But the discus is often raised in artificial environments for the purpose of selling it on the pet market. This is where it has proven to be incredibly valuable.

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